The beginning of July brought with it below-average temperatures and breezy winds. This is the result of an upper-level cold pool over the central Mediterranean. Cold pools in the upper levels of the atmosphere represent regions of relatively low stability. This brief relief from the intense heat will come to an end soon. The grip that anticyclones had on the Mediterranean troughout June will strengthen into July. These will continue drawing hot to very hot air from over north Africa towards our region. This means persistent above-average temperatures for large parts of the western and central Mediterranean.

A heat spell, which could also qualify as a heatwave under the right conditions, will affect the western and central Mediterranean from Thursday 04/07. This includes the Maltese Islands. Temperatures of over 33 C and realfeels of up to 42 C will bake our islands for a period of up to ten days. Nighttime lows will vary from 24 C to 26 C, but will feel warmer and be sticky as a result of humid conditions. The wind will be mainly light and from the West. The sea surface temperature will rise rapidly over this spell of very hot temperatures, and could reach 27 C or even 28 C by mid-July. The sea surface temperature appears to be following the same pattern as in the summer of 2017, when it had reached a record-breaking 30 C by the end of August. As forecast last week, July is expected to be the hottest in years.

Il-bidu ta’ Lulju ġab miegħu temperaturi ta’ anqas mill-medja u riħ moderat. Il-kaġun ta’ dan kienet roqgħa ta’ arja kiesħa fil-livelli għoljin ta’ l-atmosfera fuq iċ-ċentru tal-Mediterran. Dan is-soljev qasir mis-sħana qawwija daqt jgħaddi. Il-morsa li l-antiċikluni kellhom fuq il-biċċa l-kbira tal-Mediterran matul Ġunju se tissaħħaħ matul Lulju. Dawn se jkomplu jiġbdu ‘l fuq arja sħuna ħafna mill-Afrika ta’ fuq. Dan ifisser temperaturi ogħla mill-medja persistenti għal biċċa l-kbira tal-punent u ċ-ċentru tal-Mediterran.

Mewġa ta’ sħana, li tista tikkwalifika wkoll bħala ‘heatwave’ taħt kundizzjonijiet tajbin, se tkun qed taffetwa il-punent u ċ-ċentru tal-Mediterran minn nhar il-Ħamis 04/07. Dan jinkludi wkoll il-Gżejjer Maltin. Temperaturi ta’ aktar minn 33 C li se jinħassu sa 42 C se jixwuna għal perjodu ta’ madwar għaxar t’ijiem. It-temperaturi billejl se jkunu minn 24 C sa 26 C, u se jinħassu ferm aktar sħan u se jkunu jwaħħlu minħabba livelli għoljin ta’ umdita. Ir-riħ se jkun il-biċċa l-kbira ħafif u mill-Punent. It-temperatura tal-baħar se titla malajr ħafna tul dan il-perjodu ta’ sħana u għandha tilħaq 27 C jew anke 28 C sa nofs Lulju. It-temperatur tal-baħar tidher li qed tevolvi eżatt bħal fis-sajf ta’ 2017, meta kienet laħqet livelli rekord ta’ 30 C sa tmiem Awwissu. Eżatt kif bassarna il-ġimgħa l-oħra, Lulju mistenni jkun wieħed mill-aktar sħan fl-aħħar snin.